Wind-shield.



H. H. WHITE.

WIND SHIELD.

APPLICATION FILED JAILS, 1910.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. H. WHITE.

WIND SHIELD.

APPLICATION FILED JARS, 1910. 1,020,336.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Immerntor;

9 m r/am M, #92444 WW m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT H. WHITE, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNQR TO AUTO WINDSHIELD COMPANY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION :OF MASSACHUSETTS.

WIND-SHIELD.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

Application filed January 8, 1910. Serial No. 536,128.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT H. WHITE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wind-Shields; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to Wind shields adapted for use on automobiles,and more particularly to a shield provided with a rearwardly inclinedair deflecting surface arranged to direct the air striking against it upover the head of the driver, while allowing an unobstructed view of theroad over the upper edge of the shield.

The object of the invention is to provide a shield of this characterhaving a novel and improved construction whereby it is rendered moreeflicient and durable, and whereby it may be readily adjusted ormodified to suit the conditions under which it is to be used.

To these ends the invention consists in the features of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims,the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

The various features of the invention will be readily understood fromthe accompanying drawings, and the following detailed description of thewind shield shown therein.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a wind shield embodying theinvention in its preferred form applied to an automobile; Fig. 2 is afront View of the shield; Fig. 3 is a rear view of the shield, with theside curtains removed, and the bottom part of the cover rolled up; Fig;4 is a sectional detail on line 4-4, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectionaldetail on line 5-5, Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on line 66,Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is a detail sectional View of the knuckle oint in theside rods.

As shown in the drawings, the wind shield comprises a flexible cover '1supported upon the rods 2, 3 and 4, which are rearwardly inclined overthe space in front of the automobile seat, so that the cover presents anupwardly sloping surface below the line of vision for directing the airand any dust or moisture carried thereby up over the heads of theoccupants of the seat. The supporting rods are preferably formed ofbrass tubing, and have their front ends secured in brackets 5 and 6which may be conveniently attached to the dash or forward part of thecar body. The side rods 2 and 4 are preferably arranged somewhat to therear .of the center rod 3, so that the cover presents air deflectingsurfaces sloping from the center toward the sides, and acting to givethe air an outward as Well as an upward flow over the upper edge of theshield. The rods are also given an upward bend or curve at their rearends, in order that the air passing along the surface of the shield maybe discharged over the upper edge of the shield in a direction to givethe most eflicient protection to the persons back of the shield. Theupper ends of the rods are connected by cross-rods 7, the ends of whichare bent at right angles and inserted in the ends of the tubularsupporting rods. These rods serve to positively connect the free ends ofthe supporting rods, and also act as a truss for firmly supporting thecenter rod against the pressure exerted by the wind upon the surface ofthe shield which tends to spring the center of the shield backward.

The flexible cover, which may be made from any suitable flexiblematerial, such, for instance, as is used for carriage tops, ispreferably formed in part of transparent material, such as celluloid, sothat the persons sitting back of the shield may look through the shieldif they so desire. As shown, the cover comprises. a sheet 8 of flexiblematerial provided with two large openin s 9 in its upper portion, whichare closed y two sheets 10 of celluloid or other suitable transparentmaterial. The side and bottom edges of the celluloid sheets 10 are heldbetween the front sheet 8 and backing strips 11, 12, and 13, which aresecured to thefront sheet by stitching passing throu h the celluloidsheets. The upper edge 0 the sheet 8 is folded over the cross-rod 7, andis secured by stitching passing through the celluloid. This folded overupper edge of the cover thus forms a tube or casing along the upper edgeof the cover which incloses the crossrods, as well as formin a backingstrip for securing the upper e ge of the celluloid sheets to the frontsheet. The stitching extending longitudinally of the center backingstrip 12 is so arranged that this backing strip, in connecting with theopposing part of the front sheet, forms a tube or casing for surroundingthe center supporting rod 3 and holding the upper part of the coverfirmly on the rod. The backing strips 11are also stitched or otherwiseunited along opposite sides of the side rods to form tubes or casingsalon the edges of the upper part of the cover which surround these rodsand firmly hold the edges of the cover. The lower edge of the cover issecured to the car at the front of the dash by buttons 131 arranged toengage eyelets in the cover.

In order that the shield may be more firmly supported against the heavyair pressure incident to rapid driving of the car, means may'be providedfor springing the rear ends of the side rods downward and holding therods under tension. The means which is preferably employed for thispurpose consists of straps 14 secured to the side of the shield, andhaving their free ends detachably secured to the car body, as by buttons15/ The length of the straps, and arrangement of the buttons, is suchthat when the end of the strap is secured to the car body, the side rodsare sprung downward and put under tension. They thus ofier a greaterresistance to the pressure of the wind against the shield, so that thetendency of the shield to vibrate when subjected to com-' parativelyheavy and fluctuating air pressure, is overcome. a I

In applying the shield to certain styles of care, access to the seatback of the shield is rendered inconvenient. In such cases 1t is.

preferred to provide one or both of the side rods with a knuckle jointwhich will enable the rear end'of the rod to be turned upward,

. but will prevent relative movement of the parts of the rod out ofalinement in the opposite direction. A preferred form of such jointshown in Fig. 7 consists of blocks 16 and 17 secured in theadjacent-ends of the sections of the rod 2 (or 4:), and connected by apivot pin 18. The block 16 is slotted to receive a tongue 19 on theblock 17, and the rear end .of the tongue is arranged to abut againstthe end of the slot when the sections of the tube 2 are in alinement, asindicated in Fig. 7. The upper side of the tongue 19 is formedconcentric with the pivot 18, so that the rear sectionof the rod 2 maybe swung up about the pivot 18 when it is desired to enter or leave theseat back of the shield. When in use, the sections of the rod will beheld firmly in alinement by the strap 14.

In order to further protect the occupants of the'seat back of the.shield in cold or in-' clement weather, side curtains 20 are provided,the upper edges of which are detachsecured by buttons. and eyelets 21 toside strips or welts 22 which, extend along the side edges of the shieldbeyond the side rods 2 and 4, and are arranged to extend substantiallyatri ht angles to the front surface of the shiel The curtains are alsodetachably secured to the body of the car by buttons and eyelets 23, sothat the curtain may be partially disconnected to give access to theseat, or may be wholly disconnected and removed when the weatherconditions render their removal desirable.

In driving a car during warm weather, it is frequently desirable tosecure a circulation of air, and still protect the faces of theoccupants of the car from wind and dust. This result may be secured byre moving the side curtains 20, and then detaching the lower edge of thecover 1 from the car body, and rolling it up to the lower ends of thetubular portions surrounding the supporting rods, the rolled up portionof the cover being secured in this position by straps 24 secured to theback of the cover and arranged to engage buckles 25 secured to the frontof the cover. With the cover thus adjusted, a free space is providedbelow the rolled up portions of the cover through which the air may becirculated, and at the same time the air striking against the upper partof the cover will be deflected and pass up, over the heads of theoccupants of the car thus protecting their faces from the wind and dust.

While it is preferred to employ the specific construction andarrangement of parts shown and described, it will be understood thatthis construction and arrangement is not essential, except so far as itis set forth in the claims.

I claim- 1. A wind shield comprising rearwardly inclined supportingcenter and side rods, devices for securing the rods in position in frontof the seat of an automobile, a pair of rods, one of which flexiblyconnects one side rod to the center rod at their upper ends, and theother of which flexibly connects the other side rod to the center rod attheir upper ends, a cover provided with tubular side edges and centerportion surrounding the supporting rods and devices for securing thelower end of the cover, substantially as described.

2. A wind shield comprising rearwardly inclined supporting side rods, arearwardly inclined supporting center rod, devices'for securing the rodsin position in front of the from the upper end of one of the side rodsand hinged to the center rod, a cover secured over the rods, and aknuckle joint in the side rod carrying the cross rod to allow the rod tobe 'turned up, substantially as described.

3. A wind shieldfor automobiles comseat of an automobile, a cross rodextending prising rearwardly inclined supporting rods, devices forsecuring the rods in position in front of the seat of an automobile,cross rods connecting the upper ends of the supporting rods, a coverprovided with a tubular upper edge surrounding the transverse rods andwith tubular side edges and center portion surrounding the supportingrods, devices for detachably securing the lower end of the cover wherebythe lower part of the cover may be rolled up, and devices for securingthe rolledup part of the cover, substantially as described.

4. A Wind shield comprising. a pair of rearwardly inclined side suporting rods, devices for securing the rods 1n position in front of theseat of an automobile, a cover provided with tubular side edgessurrounding the supporting rods, welts extending from the tubular sideedges of the cover,

side curtains, and devices for detachably securing the side curtains tothe welts and to the sides of the Cal, substantially as described.

5. A wind shield comprising rearwardly inclined tubular supporting rods,devices for securing the rods in position in front of the seat of anautomobile, cross rods having their ends bent at right angles andinserted in the upper ends of the supporting rods, a cover provided withtubular upper and side edges surrounding the side and cross rods andwith a tubular center ortion surrounding the center rod, a knuc 1e jointin one or both of the side rods for allowing the rods to be turned upand devices for normally lar upper edge surrounding the transverse rodsand with tubular side edge and center portion surrounding the supportingrods,

welts along the side edges of the cover, side curtains, devices fordetachably securing the side curtains to the welts and to the sides ofthe car, devices for detachably securing the lower end of the coverwhereby the lower part of the cover may be rolled up, and devices forsecuring the rolled up part of the cover, substantially as described.

7. A wind shield comprising rearwardly inclined supporting rods, devicesfor securing the rods in position in front of the seat of an automobile,a cover provided with tubular casings surrounding the inclined rodsalong the upper part only of the rods, devices for detachably securingthe lower end of the cover whereby the lower part of.

the cover may be rolled up to leave an open space at the bottom of theshield, and means for securing the rolled up part of the cover,substantially as described.

HERBERT H. WHITE.

Witnesses:

M. L. GILMAN, N. D. MCPHAIL.

